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Gifts for Seniors: Holidays 2014

As stores and the internet light up with gift ideas in time for Christmas, you may have a senior or two on your list. Last year we put together a long list of potential gifts for older adults, which can he found here.

Please enjoy this updated list that I hope can help you give thoughtfully and generously.

For the senior who enjoys walking:

Fitbits, Jawbone and other devices to help seniors live a quantified life, share it, and remain motivated. Says a GeriPal: “Family members can set things up on the computer so friends and family can stay connected and challenge each other to walk do many steps.” (Rebecca Sudore)

For the senior who loves to read, but maybe can’t as much these days because of low vision or other impairments:

Boxed sets of TV comedy shows or other genres from earlier decades, such as I Love Lucy or The Honeymooners. Search shows by genre and decade at www.tv.com and then buy disc sets on Amazon.

For the senior who loves photos:

Says a Geripal: “These days it's super easy to upload pictures on a sight like Shutterfly (which often has coupons for 20% off), and you can create a hard or soft cover book of photos, and even mail it directly to people if they live far away. You can add captions and fancy designs, or there are templates which will "autofill" the pictures for you.” (Meera Sheffrin)

For the senior who loves selfies:

This stick is really for anyone at any age, but it and similar competitors turn selfies into much better photos. I’m thinking of those seniors who are posting to Facebook, or travelling to the Great Wall of China or Greece next year and need great photos with this selfie stick!

For the senior who would appreciate more visitors or activity:

There is no time like the holidays to arrange more social interaction for the post-holiday season. Connecting people to people and getting them to be more active is practically a magic pill for health and wellbeing, so it’s a great gift for the holidays.

Way to connect people socially (you’ll have to check on specifics in your area):

This call button device is actually a push-button activated device without the enrollment fee to a service, and per a GeriPal “a great option for non-English speakers since you can program it to call anyone - even a relative first”. (Dandan Liu)

For those seniors who don’t like to shop or don’t like to cook:

All over amazing meal delivery services are popping up. Find one that delivers to his or her home and get a fantastic gift certificate. These are SF based:

Sadly, an organization in LA, ProjectCARES, lost their donated gifts for seniors to a fire. Their work reminds me that in all our communities there are organizations who work with seniors in need and could use your donation. Look for a local organization that takes gift donations.

For the senior who has everything:

Give a donation in their behalf! Find a great organization that supports seniors in your area or abroad. A few suggestions:

One of the best gifts I gave my grandma was a senior-friendly puppy -- lazy, cute small dog that does not bark (the pup we gave her was a shih tzu). She was quite entertained with the little guy and it was low maintenance. Just feed and scoop poop. Which she had maids to do that.

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